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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. net — in sport
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. firm — decided
  6. dip — to sink
  7. firm — a company
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. firm — steady
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — for catching
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spring — the season
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com